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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: plane · field · fall · bay · chair · mouse · lie · trunk

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. field — for sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. field — a subject
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — farmland
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fall — the season
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  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