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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — obliged
  6. press — to push
  7. field — farmland
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. net — for catching
  19. snap — to click
  20. field — a subject
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — a sauce

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