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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — clothes
  17. shower — rain
  18. spring — of water
  19. press — to push
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spring — a coil

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