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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mouse — for a computer

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