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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. press — to push
  6. craft — boats
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rock — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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