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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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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitch — completely
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. root — of a word
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. present — there
  12. march — the month
  13. press — newspapers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — to recline
  19. root — of a plant
  20. squash — to crush
  21. march — the month
  22. present — the time now
  23. march — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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