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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: tube · stand · land · lash · race · lie · bore · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — humankind
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. race — a contest
  16. land — a country
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — a container
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — ground

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