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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 · arm · pitcher · rule · stick · trunk · wave · bark

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — to push
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — a law
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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