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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 · face · drill · trunk · bound · hide · tear · last

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. last — finally
  5. drill — the tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — to go on
  12. face — to confront
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — final
  21. face — to point toward
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  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