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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: mine · fine · suit · lash · ruler · trunk · patient · content

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. content — happy
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — all right
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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