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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · stick · bark · tube · court · lie · leaves · lean

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — a container
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. court — of a king
  24. tube — the underground

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