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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. charge — in control
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fall — to drop
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — to grow
  8. press — to push
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — hurry
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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