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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: trunk · toast · cap · hide · mouse · wind · ruler · mate

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — to breed
  11. toast — bread
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cap — a lid

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