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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: tube · trunk · stand · staff · cap · game · lash · shower

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cap — a lid
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. shower — rain
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cap — a hat
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tube — a container
  20. game — a match
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — a stick
  24. game — a kind of play

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