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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lean — thin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lean — to bend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — to push
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — what's left

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