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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. branch — a division
  5. chest — a box
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — in music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stand — to bear
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wax — in the ear

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