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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — to push
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. land — a country
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fall — the season
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pit — in a race
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a hole
  21. current — electric
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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