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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — to fit
  3. press — to push
  4. present — a gift
  5. suit — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. present — there
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. suit — clothes
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. press — a publisher

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