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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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