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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: land · toast · leaves · trunk · mouse · press · straw · hide

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. land — ground
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. press — newspapers
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — a country
  15. press — to push
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. press — a publisher
  24. leaves — lets stay

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