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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: ruler · tube · trunk · wind · cell · racket · toast · net

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cell — a phone
  3. net — after costs
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cell — in biology
  7. toast — bread
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. net — for catching
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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