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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · hide · tube · last · pass · plane · trunk · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. press — to push
  9. last — final
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — finally
  23. tube — a container
  24. last — to go on

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