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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: ruler · cell · mine · bore · trunk · stand · spring · mark

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cell — in biology
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spring — of water
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — an explosive

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