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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 120 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 · foot · key · lie · cold · hide · wake · mine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — in music
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mine — for digging

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