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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 · bowl · kick · pound · trunk · face · march · prune

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — part of the head
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. face — to point toward
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. pound — for dogs

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