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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: wake · racket · snap · leaves · rush · trunk · press · cell

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — in biology
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cell — a phone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. press — newspapers
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rush — hurry

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