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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: bore · leaves · mark · arm · wound · lie · stand · land

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — an injury
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. land — to come down

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