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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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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: ball · trunk · lie · fall · cue · toast · board · kick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — for pool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. toast — bread
  11. fall — the season
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. ball — a great time
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lie — to recline
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of a tree

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