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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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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 · ruler · wound · toast · saw · dip · foot · jam

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. jam — a tight spot

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