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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a ring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a music group
  23. lean — thin
  24. wave — of the sea

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