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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: rest · cell · trunk · present · squash · ruler

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — a phone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. present — a gift
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rest — what's left
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rest — a break
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. trunk — of a car

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