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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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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: trunk · wake · rash · mug · pit · ruler · press · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mug — a face
  4. press — newspapers
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — a series
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pit — in a race
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — to rob
  22. press — a publisher
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ruler — for measuring

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