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

Word bank: chest · wave · squash · trunk · stick · patient · bay · press

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chest — a box
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. squash — the sport
  18. press — to push
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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