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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — hasty
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — a series
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — to push
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. press — newspapers

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