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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · trunk · fall · season · rest · snap · lie · net

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — for catching
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. season — of the year
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. snap — to click

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