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

Word bank: pit · ruler · cell · band · kick · wound

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wound — an injury
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. band — a ring
  18. pit — a hole

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