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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: stem · trunk · band · bowl · mug · lash · lie · wind

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — to recline
  8. band — a ring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

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