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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 120 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: ruler · leaves · rock · cap · trunk · kick · vault · press

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. press — to push
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. kick — in football
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rock — to move gently

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