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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. press — to push
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a trace
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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