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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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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: nail · lean · pop · stand · lie · tear · key · tube

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lean — thin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pop — soda
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pop — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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