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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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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: lean · pitcher · trunk · wake · stand · club · scale · lie

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. club — a group
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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