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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 120 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: can · trunk · lie · wind · rush · court · swing · chip

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of law
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — to be able to
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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