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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — newspapers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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