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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: kick · trunk · scale · rest · ruler · mate

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — a break
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — in music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — size or range
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — a partner

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