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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. key — in music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lean — thin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mark — a grade
  24. plane — in geometry

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