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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · press · straw · trunk · wake · leaves

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. press — a publisher
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ball — a great time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ball — a round shape

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