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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: cap · bowl · stick · snap · trunk · fine · pit · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — in a race

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