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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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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 · kick · bay · wake · straw · mug · trunk · club

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — for golf
  24. kick — a thrill

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