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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: ruler · cap · trunk · track · arm · bowl · firm · wound

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — a hat
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — decided
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — a path
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. firm — steady
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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