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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. press — a publisher
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. press — to push
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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