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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 120 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: ruler · prune · hand · calf · pitch · trunk · hide · cap

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — of ice
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. cap — a hat

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