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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of law
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. press — newspapers
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — to push
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pit — in a race
  14. band — a ring
  15. court — of a king
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. press — a publisher

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