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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 120 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 · cell · row · fan · bore · lean · trunk · mine

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. row — a line
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a car

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