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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 button?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. present — the time now
  3. press — newspapers
  4. present — a gift
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. pound — a weight
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity
  19. present — there
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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