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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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Word bank
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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: press · kick · game · calf · pound · mine · charge · lie

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — a match
  18. charge — in control
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — with a leg

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