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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: press · race · lean · chair · present · ruler · lash · trunk

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — the time now
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — humankind
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — the arms race
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. present — there

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