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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. drill — the tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. face — to confront
  10. pound — a weight
  11. face — to point toward
  12. press — a publisher
  13. prune — to trim
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — to push
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. press — newspapers

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