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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · land · trunk · bear · lash · suit · bark · degree

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — ground
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — to come down
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. land — a country
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — to shout
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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