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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — rain
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lean — thin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — an eyelash

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