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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.

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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: land · bear · plane · wake · lash · lean · chip · lie

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. land — to come down
  9. lean — thin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  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