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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. shower — to wash
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. object — to protest
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tube — a container
  16. shower — rain
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rest — what's left
  19. object — a thing
  20. march — music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — a break
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — all right

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