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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — to push
  3. bat — the animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rush — hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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