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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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