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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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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: rule · tube · wake · staff · pitch · lash · bark · trunk

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. rule — government
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. staff — a stick
  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