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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. track — a path
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — a publisher
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. press — to push
  23. track — a song
  24. date — on the calendar

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