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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: rock · cabinet · fan · lie · lean · trunk · mug · club

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — to rob
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rock — a stone
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a face
  8. rock — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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