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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · tube · trunk · staff · stick · game · mine · land

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. land — a country
  22. game — wild animals
  23. land — ground
  24. staff — employees

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