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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
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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: last · cabinet · spring · plane · suit · pop · lie · row

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. last — final
  7. pop — to visit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pop — music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — finally
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — to paddle
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spring — a coil
  24. suit — clothes

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