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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — boats
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — a publisher
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. craft — a skill
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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