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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 · rule · rash · wave · bark · branch · foot · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rash — a series
  3. press — newspapers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rule — a law
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. foot — a measure
  15. branch — a division
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. branch — of a bank

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