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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: mouse · row · lash · march · can · cap · trunk · nail

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. row — to paddle
  16. march — music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. row — a line
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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