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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — to visit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pop — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — to push
  19. row — a line
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pop — soda
  23. press — a publisher
  24. plane — a tool

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