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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — the time now
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. present — there
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to click
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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