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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — a hint
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. drill — army training

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