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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. march — music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cap — a lid
  24. press — newspapers

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