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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. press — a publisher
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — a container
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — the underground
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — to push
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — the season
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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