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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — temperature
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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