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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: wake · date · leaves · wind · trunk · press · cue · firm

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — decided
  15. wind — moving air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wake — a trail
  22. firm — a company
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. date — on the calendar

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