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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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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 · lean · season · mine · fall · wax · foot · cabinet

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lean — to bend
  14. foot — a measure
  15. season — of the year
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — thin
  24. fall — the season

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