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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — certain

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