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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · leaves · ground · craft · chest · capital · dip · plane

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. capital — a city
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. capital — money
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chest — a box
  21. ground — the earth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — boats
  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