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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — clothes
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a music group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. band — a ring

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