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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — in football
  6. press — to push
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — certain
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — a thing

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