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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cap — of ice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. march — the month
  18. track — a path
  19. rock — music
  20. march — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — a song

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