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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. press — to push
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a friend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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