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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. object — to protest
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a music group
  16. press — newspapers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. band — a ring
  20. object — an aim
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. object — a thing

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