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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — newspapers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a great time

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