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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 · mark · bark · kick · press · stand · ruler · cap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cap — a hat
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — a grade
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. press — to push
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — to shout

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