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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: bound · kick · trunk · fine · shower · spell · rule · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — in football
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — certain
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — rain
  14. fine — all right
  15. rule — government
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — a law
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rule — to rule 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