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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · spell · stick · roll · trunk · lie · leaves · wake

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — a list
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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