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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. land — ground
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bank — of a river
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — in football
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — to push

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