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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stock — shares
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — all right
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — goods
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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