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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. current — of water
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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