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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.

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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: chest · suit · lie · leaves · lean · roll · pound · wind

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lie — to recline
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — a weight
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chest — a box
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. lean — thin
  18. suit — to fit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pound — to hit hard

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