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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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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: pass · press · trunk · mate · net · lean · pound · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lean — thin
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — to push
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — for catching
  20. pass — a permit
  21. band — a music group
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lean — to bend

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