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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: tube · trunk · press · wave · lash · cue · branch · hand

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. press — to push
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — a division
  10. hand — help
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a hint
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tube — a container
  23. press — a publisher
  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