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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 116 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: wound · face · present · mate · rest · lean · fine · lie

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — a gift
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. present — there
  15. face — to confront
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — a friend
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — the time now
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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