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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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — to push
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. face — to confront
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. swing — in golf
  16. face — part of the head
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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