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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: foot · bear · mouse · trunk · pitcher · ruler · rest · cell

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — the animal

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