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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 120 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 · arm · bowl · kick · lie · leaves · squash · trunk

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lie — to recline
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — thin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. arm — part of the body

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