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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mate — a partner
  6. press — to push
  7. club — for golf
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — newspapers
  10. club — a group
  11. press — a publisher
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — a safe

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