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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: press · deal · ruler · band · wave · lash · cap · trunk

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — to push
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cap — of ice
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — a publisher
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a lid
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a music group
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cap — a hat

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