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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 120 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: season · kick · last · ruler · trunk · dip · can · snap

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — finally
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — of the year
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — in sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. last — final
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to click

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