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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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468
Word bank
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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — in biology
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a document
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. tube — the underground

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