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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. band — a ring
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to click
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. press — to push
  14. file — a document
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. band — a music group
  23. file — a tool
  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