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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. charge — in control
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — the season
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bowl — a dish

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