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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: lie · wound · prune · deal · land · wind · rush · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. land — to come down
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. land — a country
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — to handle
  20. land — ground
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — hurry

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