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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: fork · racket · lean · drill · lie · plane · wax · craft

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fork — in a road
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — boats
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. plane — a tool
  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