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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. calf — a young animal

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