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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: plane · wax · wound · trunk · press · jam · toast · spring

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — of water
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spring — the season
  17. wax — to grow
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — a coil
  24. plane — an aircraft

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