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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hand — in cards
  4. band — a music group
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — in cards
  14. press — to push
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — help
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. band — a ring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. calf — a young animal

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