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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. file — a document
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. file — a tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. press — newspapers
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. file — a line of people
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — for golf
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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