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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: lie · bound · swing · wound · foot · stand · mate · hide

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — to recline
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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