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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: suit · wind · trunk · pit · wound · chest · pitcher · ruler

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — clothes

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