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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · trunk · lash · prune · kick · saw · hide · racket

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spell — a short time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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