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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — to push
  9. kick — in football
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — certain
  15. march — music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. press — newspapers
  20. net — for catching
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. net — after costs

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