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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: trunk · lie · lean · deal · toast · dip · cap · straw

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — thin
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. dip — to sink
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. toast — bread

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