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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: trunk · row · prune · press · lie · rule · mug · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rule — government
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mug — a cup
  14. press — a publisher
  15. row — to paddle
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. press — to push
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rule — a law
  24. trunk — of a car

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