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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. press — newspapers
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lean — to bend
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — rain
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. shower — to wash
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — to push
  24. toast — bread

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