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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stand — to bear
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rule — a law
  19. press — to push
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rule — government
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mouse — for a computer

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