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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — to wash
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. press — to push
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to click
  10. object — a thing
  11. shower — rain
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — a publisher
  21. object — to protest
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. row — a line

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