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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — to push
  7. board — a committee
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a music group
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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