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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — there
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. degree — an amount
  8. suit — clothes
  9. press — to push
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — newspapers
  16. degree — temperature
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — a gift
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cap — a lid
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bound — obliged

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