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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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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: lean · bear · rock · dip · clip · net · hand · lie

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. lean — thin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. dip — to sink
  18. net — in sport
  19. hand — help
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — for catching
  24. bear — the animal

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