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

Word bank: arm · press · bark · rule · ruler · calf

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. 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. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. rule — a law
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — to shout
  18. 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