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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.

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: lie · straw · tube · trunk · lash · bark · press · prune

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. press — a publisher
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — to shout
  9. press — to push
  10. tube — the underground
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — to recline
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — an eyelash

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