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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.

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: object · lie · trunk · bank · pitch · game · stem · lean

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — an aim
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — completely

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