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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. press — newspapers
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. hand — in cards
  16. court — of law
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — help
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cabinet — ministers

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