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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — for pool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hand — help
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. press — to push

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