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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — a publisher
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rash — a series
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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