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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.

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 · plane · trunk · wound · ruler · pitcher · squash · degree

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. degree — from a university
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. degree — an amount
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — temperature
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. plane — an aircraft

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