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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — to play on
  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