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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. vault — a safe
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tube — a container
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hand — help

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