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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rock — music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — to push
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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