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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: trunk · hide · leaves · stick · ruler · wake · straw · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rock — a stone
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rock — music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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