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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — to push
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — completely
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. press — newspapers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — to rip
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mug — a cup
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bank — for money

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