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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mug — to rob
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rash — a series
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. date — the fruit
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — to push
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. rash — hasty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — a cup

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