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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — happening now
  15. game — a match
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — to be able to
  19. game — wild animals
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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