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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: ruler · current · scale · tear · spell · net · present · trunk

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tear — to rip
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — magic
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. tear — from crying
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. current — of water
  21. net — for catching
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tear — from crying
  24. net — after costs

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