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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: tear · press · mouse · lash · leaves · ruler · wake · trunk

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. press — to push
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ruler — a monarch

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