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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: rock · trunk · tear · lie · toast · spell · pit · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tear — from crying
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. toast — bread
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — magic
  24. tear — from crying

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