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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — to be able to
  4. press — a publisher
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. present — there
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. row — a line
  13. press — newspapers
  14. snap — to click
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. press — to push
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

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