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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 116 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. press — to push
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. root — of a word
  11. press — a publisher
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. press — newspapers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — letters
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — in football
  23. row — a line
  24. root — of a plant

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