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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — to push
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — the season
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — clever
  17. press — newspapers
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fall — to drop

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