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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. degree — temperature
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — an amount
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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