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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rule — a law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rule — government
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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