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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. press — to push
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — newspapers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — to protest
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — a thing
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. scale — in music

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