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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — to drill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — a law
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rule — government
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. press — newspapers

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