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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: leaves · spring · ground · lean · hide · fall · stem · lash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fall — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — thin

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