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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. 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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. cell — in a prison
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — a break
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cell — a phone

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