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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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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: plane · deal · lie · rest · fall · stand · hand · date

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — what's left
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — help
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lie — an untruth

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