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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.

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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 · firm · row · plane · leaves · stem · wax · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. row — to paddle
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. lie — to recline
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — thin
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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