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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: tube · wake · lie · roll · toast · sharp · plane · pound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — the underground
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. roll — a list
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — a container
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. sharp — clever

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