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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 112 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · dip · charge · lash · tube · straw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — electricity
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — a container
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. dip — to dunk

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