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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mug — a face
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — low music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — to push
  20. race — humankind
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rush — a thrill

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