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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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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: trunk · board · press · band · hand · bore · pass · stock

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — to get on
  12. stock — goods
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. press — to push
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — shares
  18. band — a music group
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of a car

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