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

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. kick — in football
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lean — to bend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cold — not warm
  24. trunk — of a car

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