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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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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: mine · wound · bay · rock · lie · mate · trunk · file

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mate — to breed
  6. file — a tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — music
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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