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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. firm — decided
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. roll — a list
  12. rash — hasty
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. press — a publisher
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. press — to push
  18. land — a country
  19. season — of the year
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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