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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. present — a gift
  15. press — a publisher
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — newspapers
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — of the year
  24. press — to push

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