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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: hide · net · lean · key · content · spring · lie · lash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spring — a coil
  5. content — happy
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lean — thin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spring — of water
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. hide — animal skin

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