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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 116 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: march · rush · snap · trunk · season · ruler · track · file

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — a path
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. track — a song
  9. march — the month
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — hurry
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. snap — to click
  15. season — in sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. file — a document
  24. season — to add flavour

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