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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: pop · chip · plane · trunk · rest · lash · saw · lie

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — soda
  9. rest — a break
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chip — in a computer

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