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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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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: board · trunk · hide · ruler · date · file · content · degree

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a document
  6. content — the amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. date — the fruit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a committee

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