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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: wake · staff · perch · mark · stick · hand · plane · lie

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a trace
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — help
  15. perch — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hand — in cards
  19. staff — a stick
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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