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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: trunk · mark · snap · row · pit · last · lie · lean

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to bend
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to click
  17. row — a line
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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