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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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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 · leaves · pit · trunk · lash · calf · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. press — newspapers
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. press — to push
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a great time
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. calf — a young animal

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