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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — to push
  6. suit — clothes
  7. press — a publisher
  8. land — to come down
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. press — newspapers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. land — ground
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

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