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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 · spell · track · bank · current · trunk · firm · rest

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. firm — steady
  3. spell — magic
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — letters
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — decided
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — a path
  19. current — of water
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bank — for money

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