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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. foot — a measure
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. dip — to sink
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — a container
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rock — music
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — of water
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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