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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
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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 · mine · hide · lie · ruler · land · bank · last

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — a country
  3. mine — for digging
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bank — of a river
  12. last — final
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. last — to go on
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — ground
  24. bank — for money

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