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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. press — to push
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. object — an aim
  7. race — humankind
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — a contest
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. object — to protest

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