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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — newspapers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a great time
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a dance
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bound — certain
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — to push

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