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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · object · press · lie · bank · pitcher · kid · trunk

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. press — newspapers
  10. object — to protest
  11. press — to push
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. field — for sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — a thing

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