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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — obliged
  15. press — a publisher
  16. file — a tool
  17. press — to push
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. press — newspapers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — to tease

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