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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: trunk · prune · bound · wake · calf · press · net · ruler

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. net — for catching
  3. press — newspapers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — certain
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. net — in sport
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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