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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: trunk · ruler · pitcher · game · rush · nail · wake · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. saw — the tool

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