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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. suit — to fit
  5. press — to push
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. suit — clothes
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. toast — bread

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