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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spring — a coil
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a path
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. spring — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — of water
  23. staff — a stick
  24. track — to keep track

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