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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — after costs
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — to sink
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — to push
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — a trail

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