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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: deal · press · trunk · toast · fall · lie · craft · saw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — boats
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — newspapers
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. trunk — of a tree

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