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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stock — shares
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stock — goods

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