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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.

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: ground · dip · patient · perch · pop · lie · wound · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — soda
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — music
  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