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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pound — a weight
  5. press — a publisher
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — to push
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. file — a document
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. file — a tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ball — a great time

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