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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: ground · rush · trunk · plane · season · saw · ruler · hide

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — hurry
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — a position
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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