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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — for catching
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitch — completely
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — to push

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