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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. press — a publisher
  3. perch — the fish
  4. race — the arms race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. press — to push
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — a contest
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. race — humankind
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a partner
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. snap — to click

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