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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: ruler · trunk · tube · bat · season · lash · toast · wake

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bat — the animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. season — in sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tube — in a tire

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