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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ball — a dance
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — newspapers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. calf — a young animal

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