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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 116 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — the animal
  16. press — to push
  17. season — of the year
  18. mug — a face
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — to rule out

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