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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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