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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: cell · field · suit · trunk · lash · last · tube · row

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cell — a phone
  3. last — to go on
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tube — a container
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. field — a subject
  15. row — to paddle
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. field — for sport
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — a quarrel

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