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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — a container
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mine — for digging
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — in sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. suit — in cards
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tube — the underground
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — for catching
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. branch — a division
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tube — in a tire

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