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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — to recline
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bound — obliged
  19. current — happening now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — to push
  22. current — of water
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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