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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — clothes
  5. club — a group
  6. face — to point toward
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — for golf
  24. press — to push

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