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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. current — electric
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. calf — a young animal

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