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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: mug · board · ruler · trunk · tear · lash · racket · temple

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — to get on
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a cup
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — from crying
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a committee

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