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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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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: degree · lie · fall · lash · branch · bear · kid · trunk

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. kid — to tease
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — a division
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lash — an eyelash

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