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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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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: calf · press · ruler · rule · band · root

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a music group
  4. rule — a law
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — newspapers
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. root — the cause
  12. rule — government
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — of a word
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. press — to push

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