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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · lash · bark · foot · dip · trunk · squash · cap

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bark — to shout
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — to sink
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mug — a cup
  24. squash — to crush

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