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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chest — of your body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — certain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — low music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rest — what's left
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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