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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: mine · ruler · leaves · rash · wax · trunk · nail · shower

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. shower — rain
  18. mine — for digging
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — a series
  24. ruler — for measuring

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