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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: hide · season · game · lie · wake · chest · lean · bank

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — a box
  21. game — a match
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lie — to recline
  24. season — to add flavour

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