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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rest — a break
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. field — for sport
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — to push
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — what's left

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