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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 120 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — to push
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chair — a leader
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — a thing
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — an aim

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