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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: mine · ruler · trunk · wave · chest · present · pass · deal

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. present — there
  8. chest — a box
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — the time now
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pass — a permit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. present — a gift
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mine — for digging

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