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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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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: can · lash · scale · rule · wound · land · trunk · bark

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. land — a country
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — to come down
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rule — government
  19. land — ground
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. scale — in music

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