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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — a break
  6. lean — thin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. press — to push
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — an explosive

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