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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · ruler · lean · can · mate · trunk · game · mine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lean — to bend
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — a match
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — a tin

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