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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 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — final
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — rain
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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