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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — certain
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kick — in football
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — the most important part
  19. game — wild animals
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. trunk — of a tree

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