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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. court — of law
  9. lean — to bend
  10. court — of a king
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. clip — to cut
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — for sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. press — to push
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. press — a publisher

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