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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: press · trunk · tear · jam · scale · rock · pass · lash

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tear — to rip
  21. scale — in music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — size or range

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