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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. content — the amount
  4. file — a document
  5. press — newspapers
  6. court — of a king
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. court — of law
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lean — thin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. content — happy
  15. lean — to bend
  16. court — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. racket — for tennis

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