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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: ruler · cap · foot · spell · trunk · nail · bat · clip

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — a video
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a hat

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