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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 · press · coach · rule · mug · stick · foot · temple

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rule — government
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. foot — the bottom

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