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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.

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: plane · row · can · shower · cell · lie · present · scale

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — there
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. present — a gift
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. row — a line
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. shower — rain
  23. cell — a phone
  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