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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: stand · cabinet · game · stick · lie · ground · wake · trunk

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — wild animals
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — crushed
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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