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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 116 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 · rule · prune · lash · sharp · bank · press · mug

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — of a river
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mug — a face
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. press — a publisher
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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