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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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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: hide · bound · lash · season · scale · tube · wake · trunk

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. season — in sport
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — a container
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — obliged
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bound — tied together
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — in a tire

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