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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chest — of your body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. press — to push
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. staff — a stick
  22. date — the fruit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. press — a publisher

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