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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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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: dip · cold · mark · racket · rest · ruler · trunk · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rest — what's left
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. racket — for tennis

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