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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: press · trunk · coach · drill · court · ruler · mug · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — newspapers
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. press — to push
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — the tool

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