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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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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: trunk · mine · ruler · leaves · lash · club · cap · tear

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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