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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — the fruit
  4. club — for golf
  5. press — to push
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. club — a group
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — a container
  10. cell — a phone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — a trace
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — for dancing
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. suit — clothes
  22. press — newspapers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — in cards

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