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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 · chair · kid · roll · ruler · snap · can · sharp

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. roll — a list
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chair — a leader
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to click
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — child
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. roll — a cake
  24. sharp — with an edge

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