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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cap — a hat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — to push
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — a tin

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