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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — for sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — obliged
  10. present — there
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — of a king
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — a publisher

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