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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.

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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: lean · net · firm · scale · mug · trunk · lie · root

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — steady
  3. net — in sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — a company
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — for catching
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — a face
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. root — of a word

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