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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. press — to push
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — for paper
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. clip — a video
  14. scale — in music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to click
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pop — soda
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. calf — a young animal

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