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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: spring · swing · rest · lie · pound · mine · lean · stand

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spring — of water
  4. lean — thin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — a weight
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rest — a break
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — an untruth

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