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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. press — a publisher
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. swing — in golf
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. squash — to crush
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. vault — a safe
  20. squash — the sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stem — to come from
  24. temple — a place of worship

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