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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — soda
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — the season

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