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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · fall · kick · mug · lean · row · plane · march

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lean — thin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. march — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — to bend
  19. march — the month
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kick — in football
  24. fall — the season

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