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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 116 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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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 · cue · calf · mark · staff · lean · trunk · bore

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lean — thin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — to rest against

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