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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: bat · wound · rush · trunk · mug · pitcher · press · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. press — to push
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — a publisher
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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