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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — to grow

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