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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · cap · perch · ruler · trunk · mug · track

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cap — of ice
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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