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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 · mate · rock · trunk · land · ruler · march · mine

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rock — a stone
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mate — a friend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. march — music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lash — to lash out

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