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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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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: rule · straw · press · cap · safe · cue · trunk · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — government
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rule — a law
  7. cue — for pool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — a publisher
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cue — a signal

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