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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. clip — to cut
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. clip — for paper
  21. season — in sport
  22. clip — a video
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — of the year

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