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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fall — to drop
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — child
  14. net — after costs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fall — the season

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