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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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Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — in music
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. press — newspapers
  6. mug — a face
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — to push
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mug — a cup
  17. object — an aim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mug — to rob
  24. object — a thing

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