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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. press — newspapers
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. band — a ring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. press — a publisher
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — to push
  18. bound — obliged
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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