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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. field — farmland
  5. press — newspapers
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. press — a publisher
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. club — for golf
  12. field — for sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wind — moving air
  17. field — a subject
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. club — for dancing
  22. press — to push
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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