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

Word bank: last · kick · stand · snap · trunk · ruler

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. 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. kick — with a leg
  2. last — to go on
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — finally
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — final
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. 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