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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. net — for catching
  8. chip — for betting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. face — to point toward
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — to eat
  19. press — a publisher
  20. face — to confront
  21. net — after costs
  22. press — to push
  23. net — in sport
  24. file — 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