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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. press — newspapers
  17. capital — money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — a supporter

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