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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: tear · can · lash · press · snap · track · trunk · rock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — a publisher
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. track — a path
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — a song
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — a stone

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