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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. press — to push
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — a publisher
  12. snap — to click
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com