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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 116 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 · chair · cap · can · fall · rest · pitch · bank

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bank — for money
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — a leader
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a tree

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