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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 120 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 · cabinet · object · saw · pit · press · wave · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — the tool

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