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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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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: bowl · kid · dip · ruler · cell · fan · trunk · lash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — a phone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. trunk — of a tree

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