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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. press — newspapers
  3. net — for catching
  4. present — a gift
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — after costs
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — the time now
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tube — the underground
  21. present — there
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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