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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: wave · hide · chip · ruler · trunk · mug · lie · mine

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — for digging
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — to eat
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — in a computer

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