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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. face — to confront
  3. staff — employees
  4. spring — the season
  5. swing — to play on
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. staff — a stick
  19. face — part of the head
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spring — of water
  24. calf — of the leg

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