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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kick — in football
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — to push
  24. drill — army training

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