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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 · wound · bulb · ruler · stand · bore · ground · tear

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ground — a position
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ground — the earth
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stand — on your feet

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