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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: perch · chest · mug · lie · bay · stand · trunk · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mug — to rob
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — a face
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — a cup

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