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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: mouse · cap · sharp · trunk · mark · lash · kick · face

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. face — to confront
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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