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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — a permit
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — to push
  18. pass — to succeed

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