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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. track — a path
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — a song
  24. calf — of the leg

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