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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: cabinet · press · rest · trunk · coach · land · board · degree

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. press — newspapers
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — ground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. degree — from a university
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. land — to come down
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. land — a country
  22. degree — an amount
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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