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

Word bank: shower · press · trunk · vault · bank · bear

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bank — for money
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. press — newspapers
  18. shower — rain

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