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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. press — newspapers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — to push
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. press — a publisher
  19. key — for a lock
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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