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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 · land · prune · trunk · mine · cell · bore · rock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cell — in biology
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — to trim
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — to come down

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