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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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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 · lie · tube · fine · hide · roll · hand · ground

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tube — a container
  5. hand — in cards
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. roll — a list
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — to recline

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