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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. press — to push
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rule — government
  24. stand — to bear

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