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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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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: stick · saw · trunk · spell · chest · press · pit · band

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — letters
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. band — a ring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chest — a box

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