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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — music
  4. press — to push
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — finally
  10. press — newspapers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — happy
  17. mate — a friend
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rock — a stone

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