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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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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 · kid · ruler · press · wave · temple · deal · foot

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. kid — child
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — a measure
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. press — to push
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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