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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. swing — in golf
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — to play on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. swing — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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