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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — happening now
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lean — thin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — an aim
  16. current — of water
  17. degree — from a university
  18. object — a thing
  19. hand — help
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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