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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — to get on
  7. pop — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a song
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. press — newspapers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — to keep track

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