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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — a subject
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — of law
  12. press — to push
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — farmland
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rule — a law
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. arm — part of the body

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