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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: land · present · mate · bulb · wound · hide · lean · lie

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — to bend
  11. present — a gift
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. present — there
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a friend

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