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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · file · tube · ball · row · ruler · lash · trunk

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a great time
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tube — a container
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — a line
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a tool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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