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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — temperature
  10. craft — boats
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bear — the 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