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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: lie · cap · rock · leaves · plane · chest · wave · band

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. band — a ring
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. plane — a tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. chest — of your body
  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