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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: rash · object · board · wound · squash · last · ruler · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — an aim
  3. last — final
  4. squash — to crush
  5. board — to get on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rash — hasty
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — finally
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rash — a series
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — a thing

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