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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: trunk · foot · squash · tear · leaves · stand · lash · mark

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. foot — a measure
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mark — a grade

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