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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spring — the season
  5. ground — a position
  6. bass — low music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — to push
  11. spring — a coil
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — the earth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bear — the animal

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