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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: coach · jam · trunk · bank · press · rush · arm · ball

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bank — of a river
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. press — to push
  9. rush — hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. press — newspapers
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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