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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. press — to push
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. roll — a list
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rest — what's left
  13. object — a thing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — newspapers
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. press — a publisher
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hide — to keep secret

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