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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. season — of the year
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — a practice
  4. land — a country
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — army training
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. press — newspapers
  13. land — ground
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. season — in sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. press — to push
  23. drill — the tool
  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