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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — a company
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. press — to push
  12. firm — decided
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — to drop
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fall — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — in cards
  23. press — newspapers
  24. last — final

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