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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. dip — to sink
  10. press — to push
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. present — a gift
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. dip — a sauce

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