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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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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: snap · lash · present · trunk · stem · jam · tear · bark

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. snap — to click
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. jam — a tight spot

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