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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a ring
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bass — low music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — a position
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. leaves — of a tree

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