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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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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: wind · cap · trunk · mark · root · band · ruler · last

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. root — the cause
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. last — final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cap — of ice
  10. root — of a plant
  11. band — a music group
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — finally
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cap — a lid
  21. last — to go on
  22. band — a ring
  23. cap — a hat
  24. root — of a word

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