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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: charge · ruler · leaves · cell · nail · trunk · squash · wound

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cell — in biology
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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