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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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Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. cell — in biology
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — in cards
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — in football
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. craft — boats
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hand — help
  24. leaves — to go away

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