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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.

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 · wound · lean · lash · plane · press · leaves · squash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lean — thin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — an injury
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lean — to rest against

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