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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. court — for sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — of law
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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