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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: hide · fall · tube · land · lie · pound · lean · firm

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. land — to come down
  4. lean — to bend
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. firm — a company
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — a container
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. firm — decided
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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