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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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468
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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pass — a permit
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. press — newspapers
  16. root — the cause
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — of a word
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kick — in football

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