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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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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: bank · trunk · pound · press · fan · fall · cell · bowl

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. press — to push
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bowl — a football final

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