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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.

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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 · staff · bowl · cabinet · press · fine · band · chest

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a ring
  12. staff — a stick
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. press — to push
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — all right

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