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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: bark · press · pop · bank · plane · foot · trunk · content

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pop — soda
  18. bank — of a river
  19. press — to push
  20. bark — to shout
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. foot — a measure

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