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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
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: lie · season · cell · trunk · tube · bass · present · lash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cell — a phone
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — in sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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