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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 120 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: face · cue · trunk · ground · leaves · rule · snap · lash

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cue — a signal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ground — the earth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rule — a law
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — to confront
  20. cue — for pool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. face — part of the head
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lash — an eyelash

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