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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a great time
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — money
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fall — the season
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. capital — a city

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