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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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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 · foot · bulb · board · roll · trunk · rush · chest

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — a committee
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — a box
  14. foot — a measure
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. roll — a list
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — a cake

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