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

Word bank: suit · plane · lie · lean · band · fall · kick · pound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — thin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. band — a music group
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a ring
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — a weight
  21. suit — clothes
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kick — in football

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