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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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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: bore · trunk · press · wind · temple · prune · wave · suit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. suit — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bore — to tire
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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