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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: mine · track · trunk · sharp · fine · lean · jam · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lean — thin
  11. track — a path
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — a song
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fine — high quality

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