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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.

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: plane · pass · wound · clip · toast · object · hand · lie

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. toast — bread
  4. clip — for paper
  5. hand — help
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. clip — a video
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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