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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pitch — completely
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. object — a thing
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. object — to protest
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cell — a phone
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bowl — a dish

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