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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a ring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — happy
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. content — the amount
  16. hand — help
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. band — a music group
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. suit — in cards
  22. press — to push
  23. suit — to fit
  24. hand — part of the body

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