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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fall — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — help
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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