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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tear — to rip
  10. press — to push
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — an illness
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. board — to get on
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — newspapers

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