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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: hand · march · row · cap · ruler · craft · trunk · bowl

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — boats
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. march — music
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. hand — in cards
  19. march — the month
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. row — a line
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. craft — a skill

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