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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — for golf
  4. pass — a permit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hide — to keep secret

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