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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: lie · wind · last · spell · pass · lean · season · stand

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. last — final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. last — finally
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — a permit

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