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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — a series
  16. press — newspapers
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. press — a publisher

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