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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: can · ruler · trunk · stand · bat · fork · calf · tear

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — to rip
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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