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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ground — the earth
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. press — to push
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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