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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 · net · rest · fall · tube · suit · trunk · bound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fall — the season
  3. rest — a break
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — a container
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — in sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — tied together
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — certain
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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