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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: present · tube · trunk · ruler · cell · track · bear · hand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hand — in cards
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cell — in biology
  11. present — the time now
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. present — a gift
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. present — there
  18. hand — help
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — a path
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bear — the animal

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