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

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — in biology
  12. board — a committee
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — the fish

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