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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: face · chair · calf · press · hide · snap · wake · root

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. face — to point toward
  5. root — of a word
  6. wake — a trail
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. press — to push
  9. face — to confront
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — newspapers
  13. face — part of the head
  14. press — a publisher
  15. snap — to click
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a professorship

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