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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — clothes
  9. board — to get on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. suit — in cards
  19. row — to paddle
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a committee

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