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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: hide · lie · ground · mouse · plane · row · season · lean

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lean — thin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. plane — in geometry

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