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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: mug · cold · lash · rest · bear · rock · trunk · shower

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rest — a break
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mug — a cup
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cold — an illness
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rock — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — 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