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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chest — a box
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — a committee
  11. press — newspapers
  12. foot — a measure
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — to get on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. key — in music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — the bottom

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