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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. press — to push
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. current — of water
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — happening now
  16. cell — a phone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cell — in biology
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — in a computer

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