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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 · pass · press · lean · hide · cabinet · lash · tube

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — a container
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lean — to bend
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. press — newspapers
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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