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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — to push
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. net — for catching
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kid — to tease
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cap — a hat
  24. prune — to trim

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