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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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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: rest · track · club · pit · trunk · staff · lash · hand

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rest — a break
  11. club — for golf
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. hand — help
  15. club — a group
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pit — in a race

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