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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.

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: lie · hide · straw · bound · trunk · bank · pitch · file

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — obliged
  8. file — a document
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — completely
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. file — a tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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