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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.

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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 · bound · bank · face · foot · cabinet · land · trunk

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. bound — obliged
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. land — a country
  11. face — part of the head
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. land — to come down
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — tied together
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — to point toward

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