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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: fan · trunk · pass · season · wind · press · row · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — a line
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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