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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: trunk · degree · lash · rule · shower · mate · calf · jam

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. shower — rain
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — government
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. degree — temperature
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — from a university
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mate — to breed
  20. degree — an amount
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mate — a friend

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