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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: wake · rock · ruler · ground · stand · hand · trunk · branch

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — a division
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — a monarch

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