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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: date · bowl · pop · lean · lie · plane · wake · fan

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to bend
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pop — soda
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — the fruit
  20. lean — thin
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lie — an untruth

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