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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 116 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. land — to come down
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. land — ground
  18. press — newspapers
  19. land — a country
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — a permit
  22. shower — to wash
  23. press — to push
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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