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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 · trunk · leaves · fall · cell · deal · stock · ball

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. press — a publisher
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cell — in biology
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fall — the season
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. press — to push
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — goods
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a round shape

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