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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: land · bank · board · pass · fork · wound · press · cell

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. press — to push
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cell — a phone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — to get on
  8. land — a country
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — a permit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a committee
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. land — ground
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bank — for money

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