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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 116 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: trunk · stick · hide · net · dip · patient · present · press

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. press — a publisher
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. net — after costs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. net — in sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. press — to push
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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