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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 help me carry this box?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. branch — a division
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mark — a grade
  10. can — a tin
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — to drop
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a tree

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