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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: leaves · lie · land · perch · rule · sharp · trunk · pitch

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — government
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — to recline
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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