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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: board · tube · straw · pop · lash · trunk · ruler · mate

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. pop — soda
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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