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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — in sport
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — soda
  7. net — after costs
  8. pop — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. press — to push
  11. present — there
  12. band — a music group
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. present — a gift
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — in football
  19. present — the time now
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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