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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — obliged
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a ring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bound — certain
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. net — for catching
  22. pit — in a race
  23. band — a music group
  24. ruler — for measuring

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