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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — to push
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — steady
  15. press — newspapers
  16. firm — a company
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — a friend
  20. face — part of the head
  21. season — in sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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