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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — to recline

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