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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to click
  7. press — to push
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. file — a document
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — for light
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. press — newspapers

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