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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · stock · pit · saw · hand · wave · press · perch

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a hole
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — newspapers
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hand — in cards
  21. press — to push
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wave — with your hand

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