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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: rest · ruler · race · trunk · scale · press · fork · drill

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. scale — size or range
  3. drill — army training
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — the arms race
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. press — to push
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — a contest
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — a break
  24. race — humankind

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