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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. press — a publisher
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. race — humankind
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a partner
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pop — music
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. racket — for tennis

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