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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. press — to push
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — a publisher
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. race — the arms race

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