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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — newspapers
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. snap — to click
  24. march — the month

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