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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stand — to bear
  7. field — a subject
  8. press — to push
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — farmland
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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