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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. object — a thing
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. press — to push
  7. object — to protest
  8. rash — hasty
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — a publisher
  17. last — to go on
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — a series
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. last — final

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