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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 120 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 · lash · cell · club · fork · mug · bank · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mug — a face
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — in football
  24. fork — a garden tool

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