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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — to tease
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wake — a trail
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — to recline

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