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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: lie · game · rock · plane · chest · hand · current · fine

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — happening now
  5. fine — all right
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — a match
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — in cards
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rock — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chest — a box
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — a kind of play

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