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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · cap · bowl · lie · trunk · object

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — to protest
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. object — an aim
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cap — of ice
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — a hat
  12. object — a thing
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wake — a trail

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