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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — the season
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rash — a series
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — the earth
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of a tree

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