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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 120 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: game · wave · plane · file · trunk · press · suit · rush

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. file — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — a tool
  10. game — a match
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. file — a line of people
  15. suit — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. file — a document
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. press — newspapers

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