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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. snap — to click
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — a publisher
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a music group
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. net — after costs

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