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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. can — to be able to
  8. press — to push
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cell — in biology
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cap — a lid
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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