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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. press — to push

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