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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cap — a lid
  6. land — to come down
  7. swing — music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — music
  12. land — a country
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pop — to visit
  17. press — to push
  18. swing — to play on
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — ground

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