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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bark — to shout
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. press — to push
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — a face
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — decided
  22. press — newspapers
  23. firm — steady
  24. pit — a hole

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