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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.

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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 · hand · suit · lie · chest · wax · craft · saw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hand — help
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chest — a box
  17. lean — to bend
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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