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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 · toast · chip · trunk · ground · wave · prune · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — to eat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. press — to push
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. land — a country
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ground — a position
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — crushed
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chip — for betting
  24. toast — bread

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