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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: lash · ball · wind · cap · trunk · march · fine · tube

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — a container
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cap — a hat
  16. march — the month
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fine — high quality
  20. march — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — all right
  24. wind — moving air

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