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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kid — child
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. kid — to tease

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