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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · ground · deal · tube · snap · press · calf · tear

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — a position
  9. tube — a container
  10. tear — from crying
  11. press — to push
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — to rip
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. snap — to click
  19. tube — the underground
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ground — crushed
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tear — from crying

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