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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · saw · dip · key · lie · band · present · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — in music
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to sink
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a music group
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a ring
  20. present — a gift
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. band — a rubber band

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