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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 · rush · straw · mug · court · toast · trunk · stand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. court — for sport
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. court — of law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. toast — bread
  16. rush — hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stand — for spectators

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