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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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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 tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — for sport
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. court — of law
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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