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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. chest — of your body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — to drill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — to push
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chest — a box
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bore — to tire
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — an aim
  20. clip — for paper
  21. object — a thing
  22. chest — of your body
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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