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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — child
  7. season — in sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. 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