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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — a subject
  11. press — to push
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — farmland
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fall — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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