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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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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: trunk · rest · bank · row · press · board · present · pit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — a publisher
  3. present — a gift
  4. rest — a break
  5. bank — of a river
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pit — a hole
  14. row — to paddle
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — to get on
  24. present — there

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