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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. press — to push
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bound — tied together

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