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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: press · bear · board · foot · plane · trunk · staff · rule

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. press — to push
  21. rule — government
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — employees
  24. press — newspapers

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