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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — a position
  10. drill — the tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. press — a publisher
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ball — a dance
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. staff — a stick
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. drill — army training
  23. ground — the earth
  24. staff — employees

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