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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.

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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: sharp · trunk · branch · cap · rest · ruler · bulb · lash

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cap — a hat
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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