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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — part of the head
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. face — to point toward

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