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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: firm · pass · content · swing · fall · plane · lean · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lean — thin
  3. firm — a company
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — the season
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — steady
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — a permit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — happy
  24. firm — decided

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