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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. press — to push
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. vault — a safe
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to rest against

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