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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. press — newspapers
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. season — in sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a document
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. plane — a tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — for golf
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. club — a group
  21. fine — high quality
  22. file — a tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — for dancing

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