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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · band · trunk · craft · fine · perch · mine · arm

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. band — a ring
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — all right
  7. craft — a skill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — to push
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — newspapers
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — a part of something

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