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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — of the year
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — a publisher
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — in sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cap — a hat
  15. file — a line of people
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. press — newspapers
  24. dip — a sauce

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