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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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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 · ruler · rash · kid · pound · cap · bay · drill

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. drill — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. kid — child
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kid — to tease

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