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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rule — a law
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bass — low music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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