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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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468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — to push
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spring — the season
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. branch — a division

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