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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: wound · ball · stick · dip · cap · ruler · trunk · object

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — of ice
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cap — a hat
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a dance
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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