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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 116 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: lie · can · last · row · wave · lean · straw · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. row — a line
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. can — to be able to
  11. row — to paddle
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — finally
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. last — final
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lean — to rest against

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