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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 116 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: trunk · ruler · spring · lash · kick · drill · file · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — of water
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. trunk — of a car

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