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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 · lean · bound · trunk · root · cold · foot · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cold — not warm
  12. firm — a company
  13. root — of a word
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lean — thin
  18. root — the cause
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cold — an illness

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