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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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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: ruler · march · track · branch · kick · hide · trunk · drill

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. track — to keep track
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. kick — in football
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. drill — army training
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. march — music
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. track — a path

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