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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — newspapers
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — all right
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. land — a country
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — ground
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. press — to push
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — a publisher

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