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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — the time now
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — to come down
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. row — a line
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. land — a country
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. present — there
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. present — a gift
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. land — ground
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pitch — completely
  24. safe — out of danger

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