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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: trunk · fine · lie · wave · straw · net · ruler · file

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. file — a tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. net — after costs
  22. file — a document
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — dry grass

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