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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: trunk · ruler · net · bat · rush · board · saw · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. net — after costs
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — to get on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. net — in sport
  24. rush — hurry

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