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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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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: toast · bay · plane · stick · lie · degree · lean · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lean — to bend
  9. degree — temperature
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. toast — bread
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rash — on the skin

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