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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. press — a publisher
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. press — to push
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — high quality
  10. race — humankind
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. race — the arms race
  14. press — newspapers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. race — a contest
  20. dip — to sink
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fine — all right

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