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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: bear · foot · wound · temple · trunk · court · ruler · safe

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — a measure
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. court — of a king
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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