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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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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: lean · trunk · wound · lie · drill · object · stick · chest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. object — to protest
  10. drill — army training
  11. object — a thing
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. drill — the tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lean — thin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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