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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · mine · ground · pit · lie · mouse · trunk · mark

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mark — a trace
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mark — a grade
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mine — belonging to me

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