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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.

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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. press — newspapers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — to protest
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cap — of ice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. prune — the fruit

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