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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — the amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. kid — to tease
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to click

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