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

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bound — certain
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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