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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. object — to protest
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — certain
  10. spell — magic
  11. pound — a weight
  12. object — a thing
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — an aim
  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