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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — to drill
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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