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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. press — a publisher
  9. vault — a safe
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stock — shares
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. shower — rain
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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