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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 · plane · tube · press · ruler · rash · tear · pass

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — newspapers
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. press — to push
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ruler — a monarch

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