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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.

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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. press — to push
  3. fall — the season
  4. firm — steady
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — in football
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — newspapers
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. charge — in control
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — a publisher
  20. charge — a price
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — to breed

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