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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. press — to push
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chest — a box
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bat — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. press — a publisher
  24. chest — of your body

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