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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.

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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: plane · nail · firm · pit · shower · lie · scale · wake

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. firm — steady
  20. pit — a hole
  21. scale — size or range
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — in music
  24. shower — to wash

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