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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — to come down
  4. pop — soda
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — a country
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. land — ground
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — a thrill

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