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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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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: press · staff · chest · bank · file · bulb

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. press — to push
  11. chest — a box
  12. press — newspapers
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a document
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a line of people

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