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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: trunk · rock · dip · mine · row · temple · ruler · rest

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. row — a line
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — for digging
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a quarrel

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