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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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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: trunk · cap · lash · nail · safe · mark · pound · rule

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rule — government
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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