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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: lie · rest · rule · leaves · cell · press · trunk · ruler

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in biology
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. press — a publisher
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rest — a break

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