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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: cabinet · chest · bound · saw · lean · bay · bass · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — a box
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bass — low music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — certain

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