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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: lie · scale · toast · plane · cabinet · lash · hide · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wake — a trail
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. plane — a tool

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