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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 · land · wound · band · stick · lean · fan · hide

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. land — to come down
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — ground
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. hide — to keep secret

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