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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — the season
  10. wax — to grow
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — of water
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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