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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mate — a friend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — in football

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