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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — thin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to succeed

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