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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a friend
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. press — newspapers
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — to push
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. plane — a tool

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