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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. swing — to play on
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — to push
  23. band — a ring
  24. fan — a supporter

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