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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a face
  18. fall — the season
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. race — the arms race

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