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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: file · pop · trunk · cell · bowl · dip · ruler · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cell — in biology
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — soda
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. file — a line of people

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