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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mug — to rob
  4. snap — to click
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — a face
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stem — to come from
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — letters
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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