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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — low music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bat — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — the cause
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. root — of a plant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. root — of a word
  24. trunk — of a car

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