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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — to push
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. bound — certain
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. press — newspapers
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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