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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: deal · hand · present · lie · lean · trunk · track · bark

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — to recline
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. track — a song
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lean — to bend
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — there
  21. bark — to shout
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lean — to rest against

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