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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: land · stick · lean · lie · fine · wound · object · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — a thing
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — an aim

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