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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 116 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: lie · wave · deal · lean · mine · staff · fine · bat

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — thin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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