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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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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: wound · bay · trunk · row · lie · lash · present · rest

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — there
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. row — a line
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wound — an injury
  15. present — a gift
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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