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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: field · content · ruler · tear · spell · cap · trunk · safe

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. content — happy
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. content — the amount
  10. cap — a lid
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. cap — a hat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — for sport

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