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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. press — newspapers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. press — a publisher
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. file — a line of people
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. file — a document
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. press — to push

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