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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — to push
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kid — to tease
  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