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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: content · cap · lash · mark · last · trunk · chip · bark

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cap — a lid
  3. last — to go on
  4. chip — for betting
  5. content — happy
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. last — finally
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cap — of ice

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