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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: pit · season · rush · mouse · lie · stem · trunk · kick

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rush — hurry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. kick — a thrill

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