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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. roll — a cake
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. row — a line
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — to paddle
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. sharp — clever
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — hasty
  23. roll — a list
  24. stock — goods

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