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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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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 · bowl · trunk · perch · band · arm · rule · track

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. perch — the fish
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. band — a music group
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — a law
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a ring
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — government

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