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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.

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: pop · lie · can · wake · plane · chair · mouse · rest

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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