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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fall — the season
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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