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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: firm · hide · perch · field · ruler · kick · press · trunk

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. field — farmland
  3. firm — decided
  4. field — for sport
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — newspapers
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. firm — steady
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — to push

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