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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pit — a hole
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — a committee
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. board — to get on
  24. capital — money

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