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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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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: bear · ruler · rest · leaves · clip · fork · trunk · racket

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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