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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bound — obliged
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — certain
  17. shower — rain
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — the cause

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