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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitch — completely
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. content — happy
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. content — the amount
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — obliged

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