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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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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: ruler · swing · calf · bound · trunk · lean · branch · straw

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bound — certain
  3. branch — a division
  4. swing — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bound — tied together
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lean — thin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. swing — in golf
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — to bend

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