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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: saw · lash · race · trunk · tube · lie · snap · stem

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lie — to recline
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to click
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. race — humankind
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tube — a container
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. race — the arms race
  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