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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
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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: leaves · chair · lie · trunk · root · fall · mine · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mine — for digging
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — the season
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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