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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 120 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: pop · leaves · fork · ground · lie · lean · mine · can

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ground — the earth
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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