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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — clothes

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