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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. press — a publisher
  3. shower — rain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a great time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — to cut
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ball — a dance
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. clip — a video
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. clip — for paper

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