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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — size or range
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. deal — to handle

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