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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. land — to come down
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — ground
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rest — a break
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. ruler — a monarch

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