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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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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: sharp · content · pound · bank · object · ruler · trunk · band

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — a thing
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a ring
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — an aim
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. object — to protest
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — happy
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ruler — for measuring

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