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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. press — to push
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. net — in sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. stand — to bear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — a thing
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — a publisher

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