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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: lie · saw · trunk · leaves · chair · pit · mouse · snap

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to click
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pit — in a race
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. leaves — lets stay

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