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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — in music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — size or range
  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