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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 · lash · leaves · dip · rule · tear · pound · can

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — a law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rule — government
  18. tear — to rip
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. leaves — of a tree

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