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

Word bank: ruler · swing · fall · club · stand · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — to bear
  8. club — a group
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fall — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — 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