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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. kid — to tease
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — child
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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