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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. tube — a container
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. shower — rain
  20. season — of the year
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of a car

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