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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cold — an illness
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — decided
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to click
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. firm — steady
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — completely
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. firm — a company
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitch — a sports field

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