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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — a publisher
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — a law
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. key — in music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rule — government
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fall — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  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