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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bass — low music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. press — a publisher
  19. march — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — the month

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