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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. object — to protest
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. object — an aim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — low music
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bass — the fish
  19. object — a thing
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. band — a ring

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