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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: dip · lie · plane · nail · tube · cabinet · perch · ground

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — a position
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. perch — the fish
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — the underground
  19. plane — a tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. perch — for a bird

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