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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: trunk · pitch · fall · last · lie · can · court · bore

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fall — the season
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. can — to be able to
  6. court — for sport
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — of a king
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitch — completely
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. last — to go on

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