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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: rash · rule · root · leaves · trunk · tube · kick · lie

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — to recline
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — in football
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. root — of a word
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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