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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: lean · object · lie · stand · mate · ball · net · cap

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — thin
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — for catching

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