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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rush — hurry
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. press — to push
  9. charge — in control
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. season — in sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. press — newspapers

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