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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: lean · stick · land · season · net · craft · wound · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — thin
  14. season — of the year
  15. net — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. land — ground
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — after costs
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — for catching
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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