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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — a break
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — to bend
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  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