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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.

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: pop · bat · patient · trunk · pit · firm · straw · lie

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pop — soda
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. firm — steady
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — a company
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lie — to recline

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