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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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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 · wave · plane · march · trunk · kid · key · kick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. march — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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