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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · trunk · hide · sharp · squash · press · spring · fan

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. sharp — clever
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — a partner
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spring — of water
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — to push
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — to breed

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