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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: last · trunk · game · bank · tube · saw · land · press

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. tube — the underground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. land — to come down
  9. tube — a container
  10. game — a match
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. last — to go on
  13. bank — of a river
  14. press — newspapers
  15. last — final
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — to push
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. last — finally
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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