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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 120 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 · mouse · trunk · foot · tube · band · land · rash

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a music group
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — ground
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — to come down
  14. band — a ring
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tube — the underground

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