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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · rest · bear · fan · ruler · trunk

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fan — to cool the air

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