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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — to push
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. press — a publisher
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rock — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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