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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: court · perch · fall · board · sharp · plane · lie · mark

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. court — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of law
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — a trace
  19. court — of a king
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fall — the season
  24. sharp — with an edge

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