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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — to tease
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kick — in football
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — for a lock
  24. kid — child

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