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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — all right
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hand — help
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. trunk — of a tree

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