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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 116 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — a container
  9. mug — a face
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mug — a cup
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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