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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 120 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: board · pitch · bank · trunk · cold · wave · mug · lie

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mug — a face
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lie — to recline
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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