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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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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: last · fork · press · staff · trunk · cell · hide · foot

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. last — final
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — to go on
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — to push
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cell — a phone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. last — finally

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