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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: lie · coach · lean · hide · file · mate · trunk · band

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — to recline
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lean — thin
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a music group
  15. file — a tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a document
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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