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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: present · ruler · club · rest · fork · rush · trunk · squash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. present — there
  9. club — for golf
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — the time now
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — a gift
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fork — a garden tool

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