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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: cold · leaves · lie · firm · court · wound · roll · trunk

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — for sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cold — an illness
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. firm — a company
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a cake
  22. firm — steady
  23. roll — a list
  24. firm — decided

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