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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — of your body
  14. press — a publisher
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. press — newspapers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chest — a box
  24. calf — a young animal

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