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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ground — crushed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ground — a position
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — of a word
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — a line
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — for pool
  21. press — to push
  22. root — of a plant
  23. row — to paddle
  24. root — the cause

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