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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bank — for money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — of a river
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a tree

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