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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. craft — a skill
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — a publisher
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. swing — in golf
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. swing — music
  24. file — a document

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