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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 124 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stock — goods
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a face
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — shares
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. cold — not warm
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — a cup
  22. can — to be able to
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mug — to rob

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