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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 120 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: bore · wound · spring · trunk · patient · ruler · straw · rock

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — of water
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spring — the season
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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