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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: lean · bay · kid · lie · trunk · fall · cabinet · staff

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — thin
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — to tease
  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