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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — to push
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. press — a publisher
  14. sharp — clever
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — the season
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spring — a coil

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