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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 116 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: wound · leaves · root · tube · mate · ruler · trunk · pit

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mate — to breed
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — in a race
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ruler — for measuring

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