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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. press — to push
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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