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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — a publisher
  12. scale — size or range
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. press — newspapers
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rush — a thrill

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