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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chest — of your body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. chest — of your body
  7. band — a ring
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. band — a music group
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — a thing

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