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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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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: band · bank · ball · cap · cell · trunk · press · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. suit — to fit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cell — a phone
  9. band — a ring
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — a hat
  13. press — to push
  14. cap — a lid
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — of a river
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a music group

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