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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: lie · bound · straw · cabinet · clip · mug · trunk · bear

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. clip — to cut
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bound — certain
  20. clip — a video
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mug — a face
  24. bound — tied together

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