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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: trunk · shower · press · bat · game · rush · plane · lie

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — wild animals
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — to push
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — to wash
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — hurry
  20. game — a match
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rush — a thrill

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