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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: kick · trunk · cap · chair · mark · bowl · pop · lash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cap — a hat
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a leader
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — a lid
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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