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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 116 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: cap · stick · lean · lash · ground · wave · trunk · pass

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ground — a position
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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