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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. press — to push
  8. object — a thing
  9. ball — a great time
  10. object — an aim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — the season
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. object — to protest

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