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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. press — to push
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kid — child
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — electricity
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fall — the season

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